1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns an outside rear view mirror for motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention concerns an outside rear view mirror having a bidirectional pivot mechanism.
2. Description of the Related Art
Outside rear view mirrors are known in the automotive field in which a mirror head and a mirror foot are hinged to each other on both sides via a hinge. It is possible by means of such a hinge for the mirror head to be pivoted from a normal operating position in or against the direction of travel. It is also known that the mirror head pivoted opposite the direction of travel must be securely locked in this pivoted position. Operation for this purpose can occur both by hand and by means of a motor. The outside rear view mirror should be held securely in the pivoted position, whereas operation as free from friction as possible and smooth is desired for the pivot process.
Such mirrors often use an intermediate articulation, which is connected on one side to pivot with the mirror foot and on the other side to pivot with the mirror head. These intermediate articulations, for reasons of stability, are generally made from metal (complex cast part structures) and have demanding bearing designs, stops and/or locking and fastening mechanisms. They require an installation space corresponding to their dimensions and are relatively heavy and cost-intensive to manufacture because of the metal design. The requirement for a mirror pivoted tightly against the vehicle and locked there is of considerable importance for the parking position of vehicles in close parking spaces or during passage during narrow gates. In addition, the hazard of injury to pedestrians by the retracted outside rear view mirrors is significantly reduced in parked vehicles.
The underlying task of the invention is to design the generic outside rear view mirror so that it can be pivoted in or against the direction of travel and is held in a secure parking position with limited force and can be pivoted back into the normal operating position, in which it is particularly compact and cost-effective to manufacture and satisfies all legal requirements.